1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic treatment device (ultrasonic surgical apparatus) configured to perform an ultrasonic treatment (ultrasonic surgery) including ultrasonic suction and ultrasonic cutting-and-coagulation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. Hei 7-16236 discloses an ultrasonic suction device which includes an ultrasonic vibrator (ultrasonic oscillator), and a horn configured to transmit ultrasonic vibration generated by the ultrasonic vibrator from a proximal end to a distal end. In this ultrasonic suction device (ultrasonic aspiration device), an suction path is extended inside the horn along a longitudinal axis. The suction path (aspiration path) is bent at a bending position to a proximal direction side of the horn, and extended from the bending position toward an outer peripheral direction. Further, a suction pipe (aspiration pipe) is connected to the suction path on an outer peripheral portion of the ultrasonic vibrator. In this ultrasonic suction device, ultrasonic suction is conducted by a distal surface of the ultrasonically vibrating horn with using a physical phenomenon called “cavitation”. In more detail, since the horn repeats fast vibration that is performed several tens of thousands of times per second based on the ultrasonic vibration, a pressure periodically varies near the distal surface of the horn. When the pressure near the distal surface is lower than a saturated vapor pressure for a short time due to a variation in pressure, small air bubbles (cavities) are produced in a liquid in a body cavity or a liquid supplied to a position near a treatment position (surgical target) of a body tissue from the ultrasonic treatment device. Furthermore, a force, which acts when the pressure near the distal surface is increased (compressed), annihilates the produced air bubbles. The above-described physical phenomenon is called a “cavitation phenomenon”. A body tissue having no elasticity, like a liver cell, is shattered (crushed) and emulsified by impact energy at the time of annihilation of the air bubbles. The shattered and emulsified body tissue is suctioned (aspirated) and collected from a suction opening (aspiration opening) at the distal end of the horn through the suction path and an inside of the suction pipe. At this time, a body tissue having high elasticity, like a blood vessel, is difficult to shatter since it absorbs impact shock, and thereby body tissues are selectively shattered.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2008-264565 discloses an ultrasonic cutting-and-coagulation device including an ultrasonic vibrator (ultrasonic oscillator), and a non-hollow (columnar) probe configured to transmit ultrasonic vibration generated by the ultrasonic vibrator from a proximal end to a distal end. This ultrasonic cutting-and-coagulation device includes an elongated sheath into which the probe is inserted, and a jaw openable/closable with respect to a distal end portion of the probe. Moreover, the ultrasonic cutting-and-coagulation device includes a handle unit. In the handle unit, a treatment unit (surgery unit) including the probe, the sheath, and the jaw is coupled with a vibrator unit (oscillator unit) including the ultrasonic vibrator. The handle unit includes a fixed handle, and a movable handle openable/closable with respect to the fixed handle. When the movable handle is opened/closed with respect to the fixed handle, a movable portion, provided to the sheath, moves along the longitudinal axis. As a result, the jaw is opened/closed with respect to the distal end portion of the probe. An ultrasonic cutting-and-coagulation treatment (ultrasonic cutting-and-coagulation surgery) is carried out by utilizing the ultrasonic vibration while gripping a body tissue such as a blood vessel between the distal end portion of the probe and the jaw. Specifically, when the probe ultrasonically vibrates in a state that a body tissue such as a blood vessel is gripped between the distal end portion of the probe and the jaw, frictional heat is generated between the distal end portion of the probe and the body tissue. Cutting and coagulation of the body tissue are simultaneously performed between the distal end portion of the probe and the jaw by using the generated frictional heat. Further, in this ultrasonic cutting-and-coagulation device, the distal end portion of the probe and the jaw are used as electrodes, and a bipolar treatment (bipolar surgery) using a high-frequency current is also carried out.